Exposition of the Whole Bible

ROM ‘the wickedoand antichriftian ’ party the

*« prophet is bid to turn to the profeffiors of the true religion, and» openly, boldly and fharply reprove them for their fins, particularly-their. hypocrify and: formality:.in worfhip, y. 1/2. who. yet were angry; and complained that the Lord took no’ notice of their religious fervices, particularly their fafting, which is putifor the whole; the re2- fon of which was, becaute they did not faft aright; it was attended with much cruelty, ftrife and wickednefs,: and only lay in external appearances, y. 3, 45°5. whenthey are: directed how to keep a fatt, and are fhewn what a true faft is, and what works and fervices::are acceptable to: God, ¥. 6, 7..0n doing of which, ‘light, health, profperity and hearing of their prayers are»promifed, provided the yoke of opprefiion is taken away, and \compaffion fhewn to the poor; y)8, 9,10. yea avery fruitful _and:flourifhing eftate:of the foul is promifed; and by whom. are meant the profefling beh SELntastD 20015 Hi _ | the prefent reformed, churches, as.d. - Wen. Cry aloud; fpare: not, lift-up thy voice like a.

IA H.. Chili. y.'20) an nations fhall learn war no more. ‘This. Kimchi: Ben Melech take to be yet future, and what will after the war of Gog and Magog: and T will ‘bea them of all their foul-ficknefies and maladies)"OF _ all their divifions and declenfions; of their cara: lity and earthly-mindednefs, before complained of; and even of all their fins and backflidings } and reitore them to perfect health in their fouls, and’in their church-ftate. a ee X.20. But the wicked are like the troubled” when it cannot -reft, &c.] Difturbed by" itorms and hurricanes, when its: waves rife, and tumble about, and beat againft the fhore’é fand, threatening. to~ pafs the tinct fixed for? In fuch like agitations will the ‘minds of bese men_ be, thro’ the terrors of confcience for thé fins; or thro” the malice and envy in them at’ happinefs and profperity of the righteous, now enjoyed, upon the downfall of antichrift; and thro’ the judgments of God upon them, gnawing their tongues for pain, and blafpheming the God of heayen, becaufe of their plagues and pains, Rev. XVi.9, 10,11: whofe waters caft up mire and dirt, from the bottom of the fea upon the fhore; fo the hearts of wicked men, having nothing but ‘the mire and dirt of fin in them, caft out nothin elfe but the froth and foam of their own fhame, blafphemy againit God, and mali¢e againft his people, | eka ¥.21. There is no peace, faith my God, ta the wicked.| They have no fhare in the peace made by the blood of Chrift; they have no true, folid, inward peace of confcience; nor will they have /any part in the happinefs and profperity of the church and people of God in the latter day, which will but add to their uneafinefs,; and will have no lot and portion in the eternal peace, which faints enjoy in the world to come; and of this there i the ftrongeft affurance, fince God, the covenant- God of his people, has faid it. 3 ee prophet; and fo the Targum exprefies it, **O pro- }*€ phet, cry with thy throat;” and fo it is in the original, cry with the throat *, which is an inftrument of fpeech; and it denotes a loud,4trong, vehement cry, when a man exerts his voice, and as it were rends his throat, that he may be heard; as,well as it fhews the intenfenefs of his fpirir, and ‘the vehemence of his. affections, and the importance of what he delivers; and this the prophet is en- /couraged to do, and /pare not, the voice, throat, er his lungs, nor the people neither, he was fenc Junto;or, ceafe not, as the Targum, refrain | from fpeaking, ceafe. note rying; fo Ben Melich: lift up thy voice like a trumpets like the voice, found of a trumpet, which is heard ‘afar, 4 -an-alarms ‘and_.to which the “gofpelfometimes compared, Jf, xxvii. 13. te; the. manner in which the minifters o fhould. deliver it, publickly, boldly, with and affection; and allo the deafnefs and \of the people which require it: and lhew my pe their tranfgreffion, and the houfe of Facol the the antichriftian ones, fpoken of in the chapters, who yet are ‘guilty of mat tranfgreffions, which muft. be fhewed them, and they muft be fharply reproved for; and particularly their coldnefs and deadnefs, formality and hypocrify in religious worfhip; their works not being perfec? before Godg,or fincere and upright, as is faid of the Serdian church, which defigns the fame perfons, Rev. iii. 1, 2.. In the Talmud ° the words are thus paraphrafed, fhew my people their tranfgrefion, thefe are the, difciples of the wife men, whofe fins of error or.ignorance become to them prefumptuous. ones;, and the houle of Facob their fins; thefe are the people of the earth, or the common people, whofe prefumptuous fins become to them as fins of ignorance.:; ¥.2. Let they feek me daily, &c.|) Which. may be confidered as an acknowledgment of their external piety; or as a caution to the propliet not to be impofed upon by outward appearances; or as a reafon why they fhould be rebuked, fharply: they fought the Lord, either by prayer, or in the miniftry of the word; they fought doétrine, as the Targum, they fought him, and‘that every day, or however, every Lord’s-day; and yet they did not feek him with that diligence and intenfenefs of fpirit, with their Whole hearts, cordially and fincerely, as they ought to»have done; they fought themfelves, and the honour.of men, rather than the Lord and his glory: aud delight. to know my ways; not only his ways of creation and providence, but of grace; and alfo the. ways which he prefcribes and directs his people to walk in; not that. they had a real delight in them, or in the knowledge of them, or fuch a’delight,as truly gracious fouls have, when they have the prefence of God in them; are affifted by his Spirit have their hearts. enlarged with his love; find food for their fouls, and have fellowfhip with the faints; but this delight was only feeming, and at moft only in the knowledge and theory of thefe ways, but not in. the practice of them; fee.Lzek, xxxili.. 31, 32: a5 a nation that did righteoufne/s.; in general appeared to be outwardly righteous; had’a form of godlinefs, and name to live, and yet dead, and fo deftitute of any works of true righteoufnefs, at: beft only going about to eftablith a righteoufnefs of their own: aad forfook not the ordinance of their God; the ordinance of affembling together. in general; any of the ordinances of God in particular; hearing, reading, finging, praying, efpecially the ordinance of the fupper, conftantly attended to by them; fee Luke xiit. 26: they afk of me: the ordinances of juftice; not of juftice between man and man, but of righteoufnefs and religion with refpect to God; they afk what are the ordinances: of, the gofpel, and the rules of worfhip and. difcipline, and whether there are any they are ignorant of; fuggelting they were defirous of being inftruéted in them, and of complying with thein: they) take delight in approaching to.God; there’s no. right approaching to God but thro’ Chrift, and gracious fouls take a real delight in this way; but the approaching here is only in/an external manner, by the performance of outward duties; and the de-.

light is not in God,: and, in communion with him, but in the fervice, performed as a work of their own, in which they tratt pect, as the reward or Th ery _¥. 3. Wherefore have we fafted, fay’ they, and “thou feeff not? &c.] Our fafting; takeft'no notice of it; exprefleft no approbation of it, and pleafure in it: this is put for all religious fervices,

>and in what they, ex. ace Ai Bh | by abftaining from bodily food, and o fora fhort being what was frequently performed under the Old Teftament, ‘not only at certain times appointed by the Lord, but on other occafions; and of their own fixing’; in which’ they put’ their confidence, and often boafted of, Luke xvili. 12 2 wherefore have we affiitted our foul, by fakting, and thou takeft no knowledge? of that, nor of ‘us, and doft not fave us from our enemies, and deliver us from our troubles, and beftow favours on us: they had, an high opinion of their own performances, and thought that God mutt have likewife; and were ditpleated that he fhewed no more regard unto them: debold, in the day of your faft you find pleafure, this, and what follows in the two next verfes, are an anfwer to their queftions, and give reafons why the Lord took no more notice of their fafting, or of their fervices; becaufe they were not done aright, they found their own pleafure in them; not that they indulged to bodily recreations and carnal delights, but they gratified the inward defires of the, fefh, malice, envy, and the like; and they pleafed themfelves with their own duties, and fancied they pro-

‘cured the favour “of God. by them: and -exaét, all your labours; of their fervants, or, their, money, of their debtors; they grieved and afflicted their debtors, by demanding their debts of them, as Farchi interprets it; and that in a very rigorous manner, requiring whole and immediate payment; or as it is ufual with eftablifhments, they require an exact conformity to their manner of fervice, worfhip and difcipline. x ¥. 4. Behold, ye faft for firife and debate, &c:} Brawling with their fervants for not doing work enough; or quarrelling with their debtors for not paying their debts; or the main of their religion lay in contentions and ftrifes about words, vain, hot difputations about rites and ceremonies in worfhip, «as is well known ta have been the cafe of the: ‘reformed. churches: «nd to fmite wiih the fit of wickedne/s; their feryants, or_their debtors 3 or rather it may defign the perfecution of fuch whofe confciences would not fuffer them to receive the doce trines profefied;. or fubmit to ordinances as_admi- ‘niftered; or comply with rites and ceremonies enjoined by the faid churches; for which they have {mitten their brethren. that diifented. from them with the fift, or have perfecuted them in a violent manner by imprifonment, confifcation of goods, ‘€f¢. all whichis no other than a fift of wickednefs, and highly difpleafing to God, and renders all their fervices. unacceptable in his fight; fee Matt. xxiv.

49: ye foall not faft as ye do this day; or, as this day., after this manner.; this is not right: o make your.voice to be-beard, on high; referring cither to their noify threatening of their fervants, for, not doing théir work; or, their, clamorous demands ‘upon their, debtors; or to-their loud prayers, joined with their fafting, which:they expected to be heard in the higheftyheaven, but would be miftaken 5, for fuch fervices, attended with, the above evils, are ‘not well pleafing to God... 43 3 oy. 5. Leit Juch.ofaft, that I have chofen? 8c.) ‘That is, can this be thought to be.a falt approved ‘of by me, and acceptable,to me, before defcribed; and is,as follows:.a; day for a man to affidt bis foul? only to appoint a.certain day, and keep that, time afflict himfelf; or only after this manner ito afflict himfelf, and not humble himfelf for his fins, and abftain from them, and do the duties of jutice and charity.incumbent on him:.is’.it tao dow diovon his bead as a bulrulb, when it is moved with the wind, or bruifed, or withered; as if he was greatly deprefled and humbled, and very penitent and forrowful. The Sjriac verfion renders it, as a book like a fifh-hook, which is very much bent; fo Farchi interprets the word: and to |pread fackcloth and afbes under him? which were ceremonies ufed in times of mourning and fafting; fometimes fackcloth was put on their loins, and afhes on their heads; and fometimes thefe were ftrowed under them, and they laid down upon their fackcloth, which being coarfe, was uneafy to’ them, and rolled themfelves in afhes, as expreffive of their meannefs and vilenefs: wilt thou call this a faft, and an acceptable day to the Lerd?. does this deferve the name of a faft? or can it be imagined that fuch a day, fo fpent, can be agreeable to God? that fuch perfons and fervices will be accepted of by him? or that hereby fin is atoned for, and God is well pleafed, ‘and, will fhew his favour and good-will, and have refpeét to fuch worfhippers of him? no, furely, y. 6. Is not this the faft that I have chofen? &c.] Which God has appointed, he approves of, and is well pleafing in his fight; thefe are works and fervices more agreeable to him, which follow, without which the reft will be rejeéted: to loofe the bands of wickednefs; which fome underftand of combinations in courts of judicature to opprefs and diftrefs the poor; others of bonds and contracts unjuftly made, or rigoroufly demanded and infifted on, when they can’t be anfwered; rather of thofe things with which the confciences of men are bound in religious matters; impofitions upon confcience; binding to the ufe of ftinted’ forms, and to habits in divine worfhip, which the word of God has not made neceffary: to undo the heavy burdens. The Septuagint render it, diffolve the obligations of violent contraés; fach as are obtained by violence;

fo the Arabic verfion; or by fraud, as‘ the Syriac verfion, which tranflates it, bonds of fraud. The Targum is, ** loofe the bonds of writings of a de- <¢ praved judgment;” all referring it to unjuft bonds and contracts in a civil fenfe: but rather it regards the loofing or‘freeing men from all obligation ‘to all human’ prefcriptions and ‘precepts; whatever is after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,’and not after Chrift’; fo the traditions of the Scribes and Pharifees are called, heavy burdens, grievous to be borne, Matt. xxiii. 4. thefe fhould not be laid and bound on mens fhoulders, but fhould be undone and taken off of them, as well as all penal laws, ‘with which they have been enforced:" and to let the oppreffed go free; fach as have béen broken by oppreffion, not only in their fpirits, but in their purfes, by muléts and fines, and confifcation of goods; and who have been caft into prifons, and detained a long time in filthy dungeons; and where many have perifhed for the fake’of religion, even in proteftant coun— tries: and that ye break every yoke, of churchpower and tyranny; every thing that isnot -enjoined and authorized by the word of God; every yoke, but the yoke of Chrift; all human precepts, and obedience to them; all but the commands of Chrift, and obedience to them; no other yoke ould be put.upon the neck of ‘his difciples, but 1s OWN. gale SOI aes y. 7. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry?. &cc.] Or to break ‘ it, divide it, and communicate’

it to them; that which is dread, food fit to eat, | wholefome and nourifhing; which is thine, and not’ another’s; which thou haft faved by fafting, and. therefore fhould not be laid up, but given away 5 and that not to the rich, who need it not, but) to the hungry and neceffitous: and this may be: underftood of fpiritual bread, of imparting the go-. {pel to fuch who are hungring and chin fini afer righteoufnefs, which to do is an acceptable fervice. to God; and not to bind and oppre{s mens’ con-. fciences, with burdenfome rites and ceremonies of mens own devifing. Thefe are hufks, and not bread. And that thou bring the poor, that are caft out, to thy boufe; poor minifters, caft out of the church, caft out of their livings, caft out of. cheir houfes, caft out of the land; and other chriftian exiles for confcience fake; poor travellers and wan-' derers, as the Targum, obliged to flee from perfecution into foreign countries, and wander about’ from place to place, having no certain dwellingplace; thefe take into your houfe, and give them lodging: fo fome have entertained angels unawares, as Abraham and Lot, as‘indeed the faithful minifters of Chrift are: or, ¢he poor rebels ®; for the word has this fignification; fuch who have been accufed and attainted as rebels; who have been charged with being rebels to church and ftate, tho’ the quiet in the land, and fo have been forced! to flee and hide themfelves; don’t be afraid to receive them into your houfes, tho’ under fuch an imputation: when thou feet the naked, that thou cover him; the naked chriftian efpecially; not entirely fo, but one that is thinly cloathed, whofe cloaths are ‘{carce any thing but rags, not fufficient to keep him warm, or preferve him from*the inclemencies of the weather; put a better garment, upon him, to cover him with: and that thou bide not thyfelf from thine own fiefo; meaning not only thofe near a-kin*, tho’ more efpecially them; but fuch as are in the fame neighbourhood, of the fame country; and indeed all men are of one ‘blood, and fo: are the fame flefh; and from perfons in diftrefs, and efpecially fuch as are of the houfhold of faith, of the fame religion, that fupport the fame proteftant caufe, though differing in fome lefler matters, a man fhould not hide*himfelf; or turn his eye from, or refufe’ to relieve them, or treat them with difdain and’ contempt; fee Gal.-vi. 10. bl are

¥. 8. Then foall thy light break forth as the morning, &c.]° ‘Thro’ thick’ clouds, or the darknefs of the night, ~‘faddenly;{wiftly, irrefiftibly, and increafé more’ and more, till it is perfeét day. This is to be underftood beft: of temporal and fpiritual profperity, ‘efpecially the latter, which“will attend ‘the churches of the Reformation, when’a fpirit of perfecution is laid afide, and a fpirit atlGves om- mences, which will be in the Philadelpbiak church- ‘ftate; and it particularly refpects the glorious ligh of the gofpel, which will break forth very clearly, and fhine out in all the world; and the lig’ joy, peace, ‘and comfort, which will atten the hearts of the Lord’s people; fee J/

Ch. Iviit. ¥. 9—1 2. found ftate of the church in the latter day, when all divifions fhall be healed; contentions and animofities ceafe; found doétrine preached;.the ordinances adminiftred, according to their original inftitution; true difcipline reftored; and all the parts of worfhip performed, according to the rule of the divine word; and fo the fouls of:men, under all thefe means, be in-thriving and flourifhing circumftances: and thy righteoufne/s fhall go before thee; not the external righteoufnefs of the faints, or works of righteoufnefs done by them; thefe don’t go before them, at leaft to prepare the way for them into a future ftate of happinefs,- but. follow after, Rev. xiv. 13. rather the righteoufnefs of Chrift imputed to them, and fo theirs; or Chrift their righteoufnefs, the fun of righteoufnefs, that arifes upon them with healing in his wings, and verfion; or which profits not, as the Vulgate La~ tin verfion’; profane and vain bablings, 2 Tim. ii. 14,14. and threatening words, to fuch who will not receive them.

¥. 10. And if thou draw out thy foul to the bungry, &c.J] Not only deal out thy bread, but thy foul alfo to him; that is, give him food chearfully, with a good will, expreffing an hearty love and affection for him; do it heartily, as to the Lord; let thy foul go along with it; and this is true of affectionate minifters of the gofpel, who not only impart that, but their own fouls alfo, 1 Theff. ii. 8: and fatisfy the affifted foul; diftrefled for want of food; not only give it food, but to the full; not only juft enough to fupport life, but to fatisfaction; or fo as to be filled with good things, or however a fufficiency of them: then from whom they have the health. before-mentionhall thy light rife in obfcurity, and thy darkné/sbe as ed; he goes betore his people by way of example, as a guide to direct them, and as the forerunner of them, and whofe righteoufnefs. will introduce them into the heavenly glory. Tho’ perhaps the meaning here is, that their righteoufnefs, in the latter day- glory, fhall be very manifeft, both their righteoufnels before God, and before men; which will, as it were, vifibly walk before them, make way for them, and protect them; fee ch. Ix. 21: and the glory of the Lord foall be thy rereward; the glorious power and providence of God, preferving his people; or the glorious Lord himfelf, our Lord Jefus Chrift, the brightnefs of his Father’s glory, he, as the word may be rendered, /hall gather thee’, he gathers his people to himfelf; he protects and defends them; he takes care of the weak and feeble, and that are ftraggling behind; and he brings them up, being the rereward, and iaves them. _ ‘The phrafe denotes a glorious ftate of the church in the latter day, when the glory of the Lord will be rifen on his church, and abide upon it, and upon all that glory there fhall be a defence; fee ch. Ix. 1. and iv. 5.:

¥. 9. Then foalt thou call, and the Lord foall anfwer, &c.] A fpirit of grace and fupplication will be poured out upon the people of God; they'll then pray without a form, and call upon the Lord in fincerity and truth, with faith and fervency; and the Lord will hear and anfwer them, and plentifully beftow his favours on them, fo that they will have no reafon to complain, as in ¥. 3: thou foalt cry, and he foall fay, bere 1 am; he will immediately appear to the help and relief of his people; they fhall have his prefence with them, to comfort and refrefh them, to fupport and fupply them, to protect and defend them: if thou take away from the midft of thee the yoke, of human inventions, doétrines, rites and ceremonies, as in y. 6: the putting forth of the finger, pointing at thofe that could not comply with them, by way of fcorn and derifion, as puritans, fchifmaticks, &c. and erfecuting them for it; and fo is the fame with 4miting with the fift of wickednefs, y. 4. when this deriding and perfecuting {pirit is done away, then, and not till then, will the prayers of a people be heard, tho’ under a profeflion of religion, and under the proteftant name: and {peaking vanity; which alfo muft be taken away, or defifted

“from; even {peaking falfe doctrines, as the Syriac the old wafte places, &c.] As the cities in Jrael the noon-day; in the midft of darknefs of affliction, or defertion, the light of profperity’and joy fhall fpring up, and a dark night of ‘forrow and diftrefs become a clear day of peace and “€omfort; fee Pf. cxii. 4. Jf, xlii. 16. at evening-timé it fhall be light, Zech. xiv. 7.

¥. 11. And the Lord fhall guide thee continually, &c.] With his counfel, by his word, and by his Spirit, and that night and day; as he guided the I/raelites through the wildernefs with the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night: or, caufe thee to ret"; from adverfity, from. perfecution; to have fpiritual reft in Chrift now, and eternal reft hereafter: ‘and fatisfy thy foul in drought, or, ta 'drinefes*; in an exceeding dry time; when in a dry and thirfty land; when thirfting after Chrift and his grace, Chrift and his righteoufhels; after more knowledge of him, communion with him, and conformity‘ unto him; after the word and ordinances; after the prefence of God in them and after more fpiritual light, knowledge, and ex: perience: and make fat thy bones; with the good report of the gofpel, Prov. xv. 30. that is, quicken, comfort, refreth, and ftrengthen the foul, and make it fat and flourifhing in fpiritual things, by means of gofpel-ordinances. The Targum is, ** and thall ** quicken thy body with life everlafting;” or give reft to thy bones, as others": and thou shalt be like a watered garden, like a garden, the church of Chrift is feparated from others, by electing, redeeming, and efficacious grace’; and like a wa» tered one, watered by the Lord himfelf, ahd the dews of his grace, and by the miniftry of the word; whereby the plants’ that are planted in it, thrive and. flourifh, lift up their heads, fhoot up and grow, and bring forth fruit: and like a /pring of water, whofe waters fail not-; ‘as there is in every believer a well of living water’ fpringing up unto everlafting life, not of themfelves, but from Chrift, and which is very abundant, and never fails; fo there is in the church a fpring of the living waters of gofpel-doctrines, and of gofpel-ordinances; here runs the river of divine love, which makes glad the city of God; here Chrift is the fountain of gardens; and here the Spirit and his graces are communicated; all which remain, “and never fail; fee Pf. lxxxvii..7. Jf. lix. 21.:

¥. 12. And they that fhall be of thee, /ball build and k IM) requiem tibi dabit,

._.' SDN? colliget te, V. L. ' ‘Valg"tae ihieedt Chote FYTYMY A in ficcitatibus, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Vitringa; in‘fumma ariditate, Junius & “‘Tremellius, Pifcator. Abendana obferves, that fome interpret the word in the fenfe of purity, and underftand it of the delight of

. the foul, in the world of fouls, where the Lord leads them continually, and fatisfies them with pure light, which is the brightnefs of the Shekinah or divine majefty. » R. Sol, Urbin.

322 VES AOD ANAL Chalviiis 03) 0p and Yudea, which had beemlong laid watte by the pwordy and, meditation on. it 59 in thon ag)

Afyrians and Chaldeans,...W were rebuilt by thofe, of the Fewiph nation, who returned, from the, captivity of Babylon, to which there is at leatt an.allufon; and as the church of God, the tabernacle of David, which was fallen down, and had lain Jong in ruins, thro’ corruptions in doctrine and ‘worthip, to the times of Chrift, when the apoftles, who were of the Jews, chaie, wile mafter-builders, were inftruments of raifing it up, again,.and repairing its ruins; fo in the latter day, the wajte places of the world", as the words may be rendered, Shall be built by a fett of men, that: fhall. be of the church of God, who fhall be inftruments.in his hand of converting many fouls, and fo.of peopling it with chriftians; fuch places as before were defolate, where before there was no, preaching of the word, no. adminiftration, of ordinances, nor any gofpel- -churches: thou alt raife up the foundations of many generations, either fach foundations as have attendance on all. ordinances;, and reckon. it parated,for holy. ule and employment,.and on. account honourable; and fo have it in high; and defire the return. of i it, and not think. vice: of it long and. tedious,, when enjoyed, with ig;was over: or, for che hk oue.af G honourable, that is, for, the fake.of Chritt,.. holy, one of..God,,. in both. his natures, ¢ nourable in his p rfon and. office; acc fabbath. a,delight, in, remembrance of the work -of oe and falvation “wrought ‘ee him:, avd shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor jinding thine own pleafure, nor. [peaking thine own words; honour the Lord on that day, by not attending to any fecular bufinefs, or walk-; ing-abroad. in the fields, co, the neglect.of private duties or public worfhip;. by not fecking. the ara tification of the flefhly and {enfual part, or ind ulging to, thofe things which, are agreeable what been razed. up, and lay fo for ages, patt 5 ‘or raife up fuch as fhall continue. for generations to come. It may allude to the raifing the foundations of, the: city and temple of Ferufalem: but rather refers to the founding of churches in gofpel-times; which | as it was done in the firft times of it by the apoftles in the Gentile world, fo thall.be again in the latter day, which will continue for many ages:, end thou fealt be called the repairer of the breach, and the refrorer of paths to dwell ia, that is, the church and her builders, that fhall be of her, fhall be fo.called;; the Yews and Gentiles will be converted in great numbers, and coalefce in the fame gofpelchurch-{tate, and fo the breach between them will be repaired. Chriftians of various. denominations, who now break off and feparate one from another, i ‘be of the fame fentiment and judganent in octrine and diftipline; they thall fee eye to eye, and cement together, and all breaches will be made up, and there will be no fehifm in the, body; and they fhall dwell together in unity, and walk in the Jame paths of faith and pap of truth and holinefs; and fuch who will be, the happy inftruments of all this, will have much honour, and ‘be called by thefe names. ‘The Zargum is, “‘ they thall call “thee one that confirms the right ways and con- «© verts the ungodly to the law.” | his people;;

ways and worlhip; in his ordinances.

mandments; in communion. with» him, | in all which, abundance - #8 pleafure, and fatisfaction. is found, by Ww him in Chrift, have tatted, that i is gracious 5, who have fome likenefi {s to him, ae and are the objects of his ‘love and, 1 wallcou/e thee to, ride upon the, bi earth, to live above the, world, frre, i Tefta- conver wietion in heavens to,be i as a atmo ee reLy y.13. If thou turn away thy foot from the fabule &c.] From walking and working on that |4knew day; or withdraweft thy mind and affections from all worldly 1 things;,the affections being that to. the mind, ag, the feet are to, the body, which, carry it here.and there. The time of worlhip, under the gofpel- -difpenfation, is here exprefied in Qld ment- -language,. as ERR fervice of. it plually.. As in!

by not {peaking fuch words, ort o of fi things, as. relate to worldly affairs, or, hing of civil life, but, walking in. the ways., doing thofe things which are well plea hi: fight, and converfing about fpiritual cavenly | things; by fuch means God is, ie on his own day; and the reverie of this is a difhonouring him... ‘The ews ° make this honour to fie.c. in wearing other cloaths on this, day a week- day, and not walking as on,other days talking as on them; yet. they allow of iene 4 the’ not of words, about worldly things bd Seoaee ¥. 14. Then halt thou delight ‘Dye in the Lor ni &c.] In his perfections 5. in his omni nifcience, omniprefence, eternity, imm maith hs linefs, juftice, truth, and faithfulnefs; i ifdom, love, grace, and mercy, elpecially as i{- played in Chrift, and falvation by him; in. the relations he ftands in to. his people, as their, covenant-God and Father, and in what he is to them, their fhield and exceeding great reward, their Pee: tion and’ inheritance; in, “his works of. providence, and grace;. in his word, th the truths, doétrines, and promiles ‘oF cor poet $ ‘day, - “Rev. i, 10. and is. fink “inftanboll in, and put for all religious inftitutions ‘and fervices to be attended unto; ‘and. which will be’ with greater ftrictnefs in the times referred to; from doing thy pleafure on my boly’ day, that-is, if thou turneft away,,or doft abftain from doing thine own fer-, _vile work, the bufinefs of thy calling, which may “be agreeable. for the fake of the profit ‘of its ‘from. recreations and amufements, which may be Jawfully indulged on another day; and. fabbath a delight, the haly og God, and take deli¢ht and pleafurre i in the fervice of it; in ‘all the duties of reli ion, private and public, to be -obferved on that da} 3 In reading. and” i Bt. even ge higheft of Ai to chority,in the earth, as the ae ad latter, day 5. particularly this. wall.be,, tr | the-mountain of the—Lord’s houfe, is. upon the top of the mountains, J/, es ‘vii. 27.3 andyfeed ti ce with the herit | Kather; the Jerwi/h Babi 3,.0r mentioned, and not fwer,, as in. the Talmud call the it is writte arifes, cl tre.

weft, and to the eaft, and to the uorth, and to the south, &c. Gen. xxviii. 14, expreffing the larger extent of the inheritance; fo Farché and Sam on account for it; but Kimchi gives a better reafon, becaufe the fons of Facob, and not hmael the fon of Abrabam, or Efau the ton'of Jfaac, inherited the Jand of Cancan: but rather the reafon is, becaufé he is: the father of all true J/raelites, who are, ‘as he was, wreftling and ‘prevailing; 'thefe the Lord feeds with {piritual provifions here, and glory hereafter; irhich the good things of the land of Canaan, the inheritance of Facod and his fons, were 4

| type of: and perhaps this ‘may have refpect to the -converfion of the Yews, when they fhall return to their own land, and enjoy, the good things of it, as well as all fpiritual bleffings:> for the mouth of the Lord bath /poken it, whois faithful to his covenant, true to his word; cannot lie, will never deceive 5 performs whatfoever he has promifed, being able to do it; and therefore it» may be depended upon, that all this fhall be as he has